Exercising appliance.



E. E. FLORA.

EXEROISING APPLIANCE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 1, 1913.

1,082,940. I Patented Dec. 30, 1913.

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W I mworiz/ .7707'32 bOLUMBlA PLANOGRAPH CO.. WASHINGTON. D. 0..

'E.E.FLORA.

EXEROISING APPLIANCE APPLIOA' IION FILED MAR. 1. 1913. 1,082,940. Patented Dec. 30, 1913.

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COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH 604. WASHINGTON, D. cv

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ELLSWORTH E. FLORA, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T0 SHARP & SMITH, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATIQN OF ILLINOIS.

EXERCISING APPLIANCE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

- Application filed March 1, 1913.

Patented Dec. 3%, 1913. Serial no. 751,451. r

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELLSWORTH E. FLORA, a citizen of the United States, residing at hicago, in the county of Cook'and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Exercising Appliances, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in exercising appliances, and is fully described and explained in the specification and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which igure 1 is aside elevation of my improved device; Fig. 2 is a detailed longitudt nal section through one of the side or handle-supporting members and the lower part of the handle; Fig. 3 is a section onthe line Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4.- ,of Fig. 1, showing certain of the parts in elevation; Fig. 5 is an elevation from the rear, as shown by the arrow 5 on Fig. 1; Fig. 6 is a section on the line 6 of Fig. l; Fig. 7 is a plan view of a portion of the it e pI'OJGCUODS of which flanges enter the belt; Fig. 8 is a section on the line 8 of Fig. ,Inembers 11 and 12, as shown in Fig, 4. 7, and Fig. 9 is a section on the line 9 of Around the two rollers and'the lntermedlate plate 19 wh1ch,'it will be observed, lies in Fig. 7

Referring to the drawings, 10 are longisubstantially the plane of the topsof the rollers, is passed a belt, preferably of the tudinal sidebars in the form of ordinary form shown in F igs. 7, 8 and 9. Thls belt pipes. At the front of said longitudinal consists of two sheets of canvas 24, sewed toside-bars 10 are members 11 and at the rear are members 12, each of said members being gether by transverse seams spaced apart to form pockets therebetween in which are of standard i e fittin 's of the t e known p p c yp The edges of the bindings 26, as

bows 17 in an inclined position.

side-bars either of wood or metal, and any event polished smoothly. The particular manner in which this plate is attached to the side-bars is immaterial, but in the devices heretofore constructed in accordance ,with the present invention, the attachment has been made by blocks 20 bolted to the sidebars and carrying cross-bars 21 which in turn support the as illustrated.

known as a floor flange 1n the trade as four-way Ts, that is, each has a transverse part forming two projections in line with each other and two other nipples at right-angles to said part and to each other. The said members are so placed that their transverse parts are parallel and at right-anglesto the side-members 10, one projection of each of the members extending downward and the fourth projections of the two members extend toward each other to receive the side-members. l

The downwardly-projecting parts of the members 11 at the front are attached to Ts 13, the stems or central parts of said Ts extending toward each other and receiving between them a front crossbar 14. The lower ends of the Ts 18 receive legs 15, which may be screwed out for convenient packing as will hereinafter be set forth. a

he members 12 at the rear receive, in their downwardly-projecting parts, pipes 16 the members 11 and 12 of the frame carry standard elbows 26 The elbows at the rear carry pipes 27 which extend diagonally upward and at their upper ends receive adjustable handles 28 of the form illustrated. The elbows 26 at the front carry pipes 29 which extend upward and backward in a diagonal direction and enter Ts 30 inter mediate the ends of a pipe 27, the Ts being reamed out to receive the upper ends of said pipes 29 which are held in place by setscrews 31.

In operating the present exercising device, the user stands upon the belt, facing forward, and grasping the handles, which are adjusted by sliding them in and out of the pipes 27 to the proper height to accom- The outwardly-extending projections of 2o cheap and which can readily be packed for has frequently been the custom for the belt.

so with rollers along its edges was provided,

heavy, unsatisfactory construction. On the with practically no machine work at all. I have expended much effort in the construction of the present device to confine its memhere to standard fittings, and the result is an exceedingly simple and cheap construction.

For purposes of convenient packing for shipment, the front legs are made removable as heretofore specified. The two handlesupporting sides are treated in the following manner: The handles are either 'removed, or pushed in as far as possible and turned toward each other. The set-screw 31 is then loosened and the pipes" 27 are swung up so as to release the ends oft-he pipes 29'. The: pipes 2'9 are then swung down into the plane of the main frame, the pipes 2:? following. The whole structure thus lies in a Hat, rectangular space, its height is the same as that of the rearof the appliance, from the bottom of the elbows to the top: of the belt which, in practice, is about inches The: entire apparatus can thus be packed a box about 6 inches deep, approximately 20 'nches wide and 3 feet long, acond-itionwhich makes! shipping very easy, and addition it can be put in condition for use by the purchaser by simply screwing in the legs, swinging up the pipes 27 and 29' to their proper positions and tightening up two set-screws, and of course, adjusting: the handles proper position for the user.

The present invention therefore embodies the broad feature of constructing, a bedplate for the belt in the manner described to secure the advantages sought; and secondly, constructing the frame as described so as to obtain the use of standard pipe-fittings with the attendant advantages. It will therefore be evident that as far as certain of the features of my invention is concerned, at least, great variations are permissible without dc.- parting' from the spirit of the: invention, although as to other points, the invention distinctly resides in the specific fornr shown. Therefore, and in view of these: circumstances, I do not intend to be limited thereto, except as hereinafter pointed out in the claims in: which. it is: my intention to claimall the novelty inherent in the construction as broadly as is permitted by the: state of the art.

"What I claimas new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is: V

1. An exercising device having, in combi- 2c nation, a slippery bed-plate, endless belt running around the same upon which the user can stand with his weigatfcarried by the bed-plate, and parts. elevated above the bed-plate to be grasped by the hands of the 121 user.

2. An exercising device having, in combination, an inclined slippery bed-plate, an endless belt running around the same upon which the user can stand with' Weight 13 modate the user. Then, with the aid of the handles, which steady and partially support him, the user can run upon the belt, the upper surface of which will run back, slid- 5 ing with relatively little friction on the plate. In its movement the belt is kept in alinement by pins 32 which extend downwardly from the plate 19, or its support, so that the belt will be held in a generally cen- 10 tral position.

I am aware that it has heretofore been proposed to construct exercising appliances of the treadmill type, and of course no broad novelty is claimed for such construction.

15 The aim sought in the present device is to provide a construction which shall be strong and thoroughly efficient for the purpose, which shall provide a comfortable surface I to run upon, which shall be particularly shipment. It is manifest that the present device can be made strong and durable. ln devices for a 1 generally-similar purpose which have been'proposed in the past, it

to run over rollers forming the surface upon which it rests, and as far as I am aware, this has always been the practice, excepting in those cases where a very expensive; belt which rollers could run in grooved guides. The construction of a belt with marginal rollers running in grooved guides is, 0 course, very expensive, and results in a other hand, the use of a bed of rollers which actually support the weight is very unsatis factory because of the peculiar j ar which is imparted to the foot of the user as the belt 40 moves over the rollers. By using a smooth, slippery plate, as the bed upon which the belt is to run, this jar is entirely done away with, and the sensation to the foot of the user is much more analogous tothat pro- 45 duced when running upon a track. Furthermore, the plate can be made springy, if desired, and can thus be made to yield slightly under the foot, as does an elastic and properly constructed running track. 50 Thus, I have secured a belt-supporting bed which, not only is exceedingly cheap, far cheaper than any of the roller-systems heretofore proposed, but which possesses imortant advantages of operation. I 55 It will be seen, when the present structure is considered from the point of view of its manufacture, that the entire frame-work is made of stock pipes and stock fittings. This makes it possible tobuild a device without 60the purchase or construction of any special tools, of the cheapest possible material and without carrying a quantity of parts in stock. These pipe fittings are all staple, they can be bought in any quantity on very 65 short notice and they can be put together 4. An exercising device having, in combination, a slippery bed-plate, an endless belt running around the same upon which the user-can stand with .his weight carried b the bed-plate, rollers at the ends of the bedplate and within the belt means to gulde the user.

5. An exercising device having, in combination, a slippery bed-plate, an endless belt running around the same upon which the user oan'stand with his weight carried by Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by

the bed-plate, rollers at the ends of the bedplate and within the belt, and adjustable handles at the sides of the bed-plate and above the same.

6. In combination in an endless belt, means upward from the opposite end of the exerly connected with the and swung down, for the purpose set forth. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand,

ELLSWORTH E. FLORA. In the presence of two subscribing witnesses:

NELLIE B. DEARBoRN, A. C. FISCHER.

addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). G. 

